Resurrected Brand SWM to Produce SuperDual Adventure Bike

Italian manufacturer SWM returns after 30 years with new 600cc ADV Bike.

Published on 11.25.2015

2016 SWM Superdual — The new SWM SuperDual Adventure Bike has a fuel-injected 600cc DOHC single, wide-ratio 6-speed transmission, long-distance touring equipment and a 5-gallon fuel tank.

It’s been more than 30 years since the name SWM (Speedy Working Motors) graced the pages of motorcycle publication headlines. It was once a prestigious Italian brand that manufactured trials, enduro and motocross bikes. SWM enjoyed success in European motocross and ISDT competition and was a major competitor to KTM throughout the 70’s. In 1984 the company came under hard times and went into liquidation, but the brand is still held in high esteem in Europe.

The company was recently resurrected through the efforts of a former Husqvarna engineer, Ampelio Macchi, who was able to secure funding from Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Shineray. But this new iteration of SWM isn’t a classic European badge slapped on a Chinese manufactured motorcycle. The bikes are Italian built. As part of SWM’s rebuild, Macchi secured the former Husqvarna factory (when owned by Cagiva in 2012) in Biandronno, Italy and brought it up-to-date with major investments from Shineray Group.

The SWM SuperDual fills a gap in the market for a performance-oriented 600cc adventure bike.

Macchi was also able to acquire Husqvarna technology and plans from KTM, which were scrapped after the company was purchased by BMW and then later resold to KTM. The new SWM SuperDual has more than just a passing resemblance to the 2012 Husqvarna TE630. Underneath the new bodywork is the same water-cooled and fuel-injected 600cc DOHC single pumping out roughly 50 horsepower, with a wide-ratio 6-speed to match — the same motor to be used in the new AJP PR7. The SWM SuperDual runs on Marzochi front forks and Sachs rear shock, providing 8.3 inches (210mm) of suspension travel in the front and 10.6 inches (270 mm) in the rear.

The new SWM SuperDual is based heavily on the 2012 Husvarna TE630 platform. A worthy lineage to develop a new generation of dual sport motorcycles from.

Back in 2012 the Husqvarna TE630 was a pretty impressive dual sport giving the KTM 690 Enduro R a run for it’s money. Now SWM is doing what KTM has refused to do for years, make an Adventure model out of its middle-weight Enduro.

The SWM SuperDual shares the same platform as the company’s enduro-styled dual sport, the RS650R. SWM equips the SuperDual with a larger 5 gallon fuel tank, more street-oriented 17″ rear and 19″ front wheels, a touring windscreen and a seat designed for travel. The bike weighs 350 pounds without fuel and offers a reasonable 33.85 inch seat height.

SWM’s enduro-styled dual sport, the RS650R looks almost identical to the Husqvarna TE630, which it is based on.

The SWM SuperDual is shown with crash bars, skid plate, center stand, rear rack, aluminum panniers and soft bags. With an approximate range of 200 miles, luggage carrying capability and wide-ratio transmission, the new SWM looks like an enticing alternative to the KTM 690 Enduro R for those looking for an off-road capable long-distance travel bike.

Pricing has not been announced but the company is expected to take advantage of a lower cost of components manufactured in China, which will be shipped to Italy for assembly. In this way, they can come to market at a lower price point than other European manufacturers. SWM plans to offer 12 models in the enduro, supermoto, motocross, classic and adventure categories. For more information, visit the SWM website.

News Update 11/26/2015: SWM has confirmed that the SuperDual will first become available in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, then in the second half of 2016 it will arrive in the USA.

News Update 2/1/2017: SWM has announced that the bike has been delayed due to some remapping requirements and other compliance specific details for the US. No further details about its arrival date have been given.

SWM SUPERDUAL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type:	Single cylinder, 4 stroke, 4 valve, liquid cooled, DOHC
Bore X Stroke:	100 x 76.4 mm
Displacement:	600cc
Compression Ratio:	12.4:1
Lubrication:	Wet sump
Fuel System:	EFI 45mm throtle body
Starter:	Electric
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate type; hydraulic control
Transmission:	6 Speed
Frame:	Single beam double cradle main frame
Seat Height:	33.85 in. (860mm)
Wheelbase:	57.68 in. (1465mm)
Fuel Tank:	5.0 gallons (19 L)
Front Tires:	110/80 – 19”
Rear Tires:	140/80 – 17”
Front Suspension:	“Upside-Down” fork with dumping adjustment 50mm
Rear Suspension:	“Soft Damp” monoshock absorber with adjustment
Suspension Travel:	8.3 in. (210mm) Front / 10.6 in. (270mm) Rear
Front Brake:	320mm Single Disc
Rear Brake:	300mm Single Disc
Weight Without Fuel:	350.5 lbs. (159 Kg)

Photo Gallery

Author: Rob Dabney

Rob Dabney started a lifelong obsession with motorcycles at the age of 15 when he purchased his first bike – a 1982 Honda MB5. Through his 20’s and 30’s he competed in off-road desert races, including the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. Eventually, his proclivity for exploration led him to dual sport and adventure riding. Rob’s never-ending quest to discover what’s around the next bend has taken him on Adventures in Mexico, North Africa, Europe, and throughout the American West. As a moto journalist, he enjoys inspiring others to seek adventure across horizons both near and far.

 42 Comments Tags: Husqvarna, Middle-Weight ADV Class, Shineray, SWM, TE630

Author: Rob Dabney

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42 thoughts on “Resurrected Brand SWM to Produce SuperDual Adventure Bike”

justinope on November 25, 2015 at 2:07 pm said:

and it will never make it to the USA like everything else I’m sure 🙁

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- CKLittle on December 11, 2015 at 6:47 am said:
  
  2016 coming to USA I read the article
  
  Reply ↓
Rob Dabney on November 25, 2015 at 2:11 pm said:

Hey Justin. We’ve seen some indications that it could be coming to the US, but it’s not yet confirmed. We’ll update this story once we hear back from SWM.

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- justinope on November 25, 2015 at 8:10 pm said:
  
  thatd be awesome for sure!
  
  Reply ↓
  - Jim on November 26, 2015 at 7:01 am said:
    
    If this and the PR7 come to the States, 2016 will be a great year!
    
    Reply ↓
  - Rob Dabney on November 26, 2015 at 9:05 am said:
    
    Hey Justin. We just heard back from SWM and they confirmed that the SuperDual will be coming to the US in the second half of 2016. The story has been updated above.
    
    Reply ↓
    - Ben Panike on November 26, 2015 at 10:05 am said:
      
      This is why I love advpulse, reader had a question, you guys passed the answer along as soon as you had it. Even on Thanksgiving.
      
      Reply ↓
      - Rob Dabney on November 26, 2015 at 4:35 pm said:
        
        Thanks for your kind words Ben. We really care about all our readers and try to help as much as possible. Have a great thanksgiving!!
        
        Reply ↓
- Paul on November 27, 2015 at 7:13 am said:
  
  If the SWM just can come with a 800/900 cc version then the Big NAme willl have to take notice – looks great
  
  Reply ↓
  - Rob Dabney on November 30, 2015 at 10:43 am said:
    
    Hi Paul. I agree, we do need more options in the 800cc range as well. Something lightweight with good off-road suspension. Thanks for your comment!
    
    Reply ↓
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David Bingham on November 26, 2015 at 11:24 am said:

33.5″ seat is pretty low, and that’d great, but PLEASE someone make a high quality adventure dual sport for the wive us guys with the big bikes. I ride a 2015 KTM 1190 ADV R, my wife has several Ducati’s and is an advanced street rider, but when I am going on a trip on my KTM, she stays home since none of her bikes work well on dirt. We’ve tried modifying a Husky TE250, but it didn’t work well on the road, she has a Ducati Multistrada 620, but it’s not great on the dirt. And don’t suggest BMW 650’s, she just doesn’t like them.
Make a version of this bike that has a 30″ seat and still handles like it should, we’ll buy it.

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- Rob Dabney on November 26, 2015 at 2:33 pm said:
  
  The CCM GP450 might be the ticket for shorter ladies that appreciate off-road performance. With the low seat and low suspension it gets the seat height down to 31.1 inches.
  https://www.advpulse.com/adv-bikes/ccm-gp450-adventure-the-answer-for-shorter-riders/
  
  Hopefully, CCM brings this bike to the USA soon too!
  
  Reply ↓
- True Ad Venture on November 26, 2015 at 5:37 pm said:
  
  An XT250 or WR250 should be able to go everywhere your KTM can on dirt and then some…
  
  Reply ↓
- Jerry on December 10, 2015 at 1:27 pm said:
  
  My GF rides a g650x country, loves it. Low seat height, 325lbs dry. Has ABS too. Graduated from an XT225. There just aren’t any other low seat height light bikes with ~50hp out there.
  
  Reply ↓
HalfNelson1973 on November 26, 2015 at 2:23 pm said:

A 600cc sport adventure bike sounds like a really good idea. Now that I think about it I wonder why no one else has done this already. If

Reply ↓
- Rob Dabney on November 26, 2015 at 2:42 pm said:
  
  It’s a mystery why no one currently builds an off-road focused “True” adventure bike in the 600-650 range. It hasn’t been done since the KTM 640 Adventure which was discontinued in 2008. We hope more companies follow SWM’s example.
  
  Reply ↓
  - rsser on December 9, 2015 at 8:00 pm said:
    
    The Husky TR650 blazed brightly for a couple of years. Cheap and capable.
    
    Reply ↓
    - Rob Dabney on December 11, 2015 at 11:21 am said:
      
      Yes. The TR650 Terra was another decent option, although it seemed to take a step backward when Husky went from the TE630 to the TR650 in terms of off-road performance. The TR650 Terra was about 70 lbs. heavier and several inches less suspension travel. It also only had a 5-speed, whereas the TE630 had 6 gears. The Terra was well priced for a new adv bike though and still is relatively capable off-road.
      
      Reply ↓
elron on December 9, 2015 at 12:46 pm said:

Looks like a great alternative for those of us wanting a smaller cc adventure bike though I wish they’s stick with 21′ front 18′ rear wheels.

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rsser on December 9, 2015 at 7:56 pm said:

Could be a successor to the Husky Terra.

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Dave H on December 12, 2015 at 3:56 am said:

Awsome! I fell on hard times a couple years ago and had to sell my ’06 TE610. It was a great bike and I’ve been kicking myself for not finding some way to keep it.

The SuperDual looks to be based on the SM630 (super moto), not the TE. The TE had 12.8 inches of suspension, a 37 inch seat height and 18-21 wheels. Not sure what the crash bars are for, I dumped mine plenty of times with no damage. You could probably shave off 30 lbs by switching to a single exhaust with a Barnett pipe. I wonder if an Uptite skid plate still fits.

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- Rob Dabney on December 12, 2015 at 9:50 am said:
  
  Hi Dave. Maybe it’s time to pick up another TE? Both the TE630 and SM630 are very closely related, so you could say it is based on either. Yes, that would be a good weight saving option to forgo crash bars and replace the dual exhaust system with a single can. Put a set of soft bags on it as well and you’d have a very light and nimble adventure touring bike.
  
  Reply ↓
Dave on December 21, 2015 at 4:02 am said:

Looks like the engine is similar to KTM and used in the BMW Funduro ?
Any info on MSR price once landed in North America?

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- Rob Dabney on December 21, 2015 at 7:45 am said:
  
  Hi Dave. No connection to KTM or the BMW motors. It’s based on the Husqvarna TE630’s engine. Pricing in the US hasn’t been announced yet but we expect it to be somewhere under the price of a KTM 690 Enduro R which costs $10.5k.
  
  Reply ↓
Kai on January 25, 2016 at 1:56 am said:

The intersting aspect is that swm needs to have european homologation ready, because from 01.Jan2016 all new models (and from 01.Jan2017 all new bikes) over 250ccm are required to have abs on board. So if the haven’t received european homologation yet, they will need to redesign the breaking system and integrate abs!
Will be very interesting to get some pricing info – and hopefully the bike will not have the short 5000km maintanance intervall ov the original 630 engine!

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- Kai on January 25, 2016 at 1:57 am said:
  
  Correction: …over 125ccm…!
  
  Reply ↓
  - Rob Dabney on January 25, 2016 at 7:12 am said:
    
    If it ends up with ABS, all the better. Good point about the maintenance intervals. Hopefully, they’ve made adjustments to allow for a more friendly maintenance schedule.
    
    Reply ↓
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David Dew on June 25, 2016 at 8:01 am said:

I like the 17″ and 19″ combo on a light adventure bike.
I want a bike to replace my heavy F800GS.
It’s been fun but has limits because of weight.
Can’t wait til it comes to US!

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Jimmijon on August 14, 2016 at 6:21 pm said:

If it were a twin cylinder bike…would be a real good selling point

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- Andrew on November 22, 2016 at 5:32 pm said:
  
  wait for the T7, 700cc at 400 lbs wet
  
  Reply ↓
Ian on October 6, 2016 at 9:33 am said:

How much is this mighty steed and where can I buy from?

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Andrew on November 22, 2016 at 5:30 pm said:

I still want a sub 150 kg WR450R or CRF450L

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Timothy Gelarden on February 3, 2017 at 12:10 pm said:

Has there been any word on this? Wondering if they’ll actually bring it to the States.

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- Bob Gardner on February 5, 2017 at 5:24 pm said:
  
  2016 come ‘n gone, and No Cycle in sight. No word about the ABS / Homologation effort, either. Oh well, we’re waiting on the T7, too. No new metal…
  
  Reply ↓
  - ADV Pulse on February 6, 2017 at 4:58 pm said:
    
    The last word from SWM so far is that the bike has been delayed due to some remapping requirements and other compliance specific details for the US. They are hoping to finally have it available before the end of 2017. Crossing fingers there are no further delays!
    
    Reply ↓
David Jones on August 30, 2017 at 1:14 pm said:

I never trust these stories. Pie in the sky when it comes to the US. We either have to buy $11k european machines or $6k Japanese junk with technology from 1980 if you want a 650 thumper.

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Baudilio Recinos on May 30, 2018 at 7:12 pm said:

Bring it to USA please

Cheers

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